Agricultural harvesting machines such as combine harvesters generally are developed to handle a large variety of crops. For example a combine harvester may be used to harvest small grain crops such as wheat and rye, rape or grass seed or large grain crops such as peas or corn. In this manner the use of the harvester, which is a high investment tool, can be extended over a longer season.
Conventionally the harvester is equipped with a detachable crop collecting attachment, such as a grain or corn header, which cuts the stems of the crop standing in the field and conveys the same to the inlet of an elevator housing. Alternatively crop which has been cut previously can be lifted up from the field by a pick-up attachment and conveyed to the same inlet. Elevator mechanism, commonly a chain elevator with transverse slats, grab the collected crop deposited in front of the inlet and convey it rearwardly and upwardly towards the crop processing mechanism, conventionally a threshing drum and concave or grate assembly.
The transverse slats of the elevator can be made out of angled steel profiles. However, because of the increasing capacity of modern harvesters, these slats are subject to increasing loads which may result in a permanent deformation of the slats. To increase their strength, the slats may be made out of more complicated profiles such as a U- or V-shaped profile as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,369,617 and 5,346,429. However it has been experienced that near the outlet of the elevator the trailing edge of the slats may notch the corn grains in the ears, thereby seriously reducing their capacity for storage. Hence there is a need for a sturdy slat which does not damage the kernels.